I am not a gamer, not in the traditional sense at least. I prefer casual games that I can play in short bursts without any investment. But every now and then, I get addicted to an arcade or racing game and I can’t let my phone/tablet down. My biggest problem? Controls on touchscreens are impossible to master. But, a few months ago, I saw the Invisible Gamepad on Kickstarter and it immediately won me over. Here’s my review.
What’s an Invisible Gamepad?
I’m glad you asked. It’s a transparent film, almost — well, exactly — the kind that is used by most clear screen protectors. The film is cut in the shape of various gamepad controllers, including d-Pads, 4-buttons, 1-buttons, a-Pads. The idea is that you attach these on top of your screen, where the game’s controls are, and thus have tactile feedback when you’re playing. By providing a physical anchor for your fingers, you should improve your gaming accuracy several folds.
What’s in the box?
The Invisible Gamepad ships in a small envelope with instructions, one square film of 63 laser-cut gamepads of different shapes and sizes, and a cleaning cloth. That’s all there is to it.
Does it live up to its promise?
A resounding yes. I received mine a couple of days ago and immediately launched Contra: Evolution on my Nexus 7, paused the game, cleaned the screen and attached a d-Pad and a button on top of the game’s controls. I used to play Contra when I was a kid with my cousins and the most I ever advanced to was the beginning of stage 3, but when I tried it on my Nexus 7 a few months ago, I screamed at my screen and couldn’t finish the first stage — that’s how little control and accuracy I had. The first try with the Invisible Gamepad was a little awkward, the second was better, and then I was flying. Two days later, I had reached stage 5, I got killed a lot less often, I unlocked several other modes, improved all my scores, and I am actually enjoying playing the game. I no longer think if I’m touching the right part of the screen to jump, I just press where my finger can feel the gamepad’s film.
Do you leave it on all the time?
The Invisible Gamepad’s film is thin, very clear and almost unobtrusive. I personally leave it on, that way I can pick up my Nexus 7 and play whenever I want. It also doesn’t interfere with my regular use of the touchscreen in other apps, although my finger bumps against it sometimes while scrolling. I can afford this little inconvenience because I don’t use my Nexus 7 all day long. If, however, I were to use the Invisible Gamepad on my phone, which I constantly work on, then I’d have to remove and replace the pads. They are designed for that, they can be removed, cleaned with a couple of water drops, and reused.
Do you recommend it?
The Invisible Gamepad is by comparison a low-key solution that doesn’t require coding compatibility to work with any game, it’s always with you, and it works very well indeed.
